"He loves me, he really does you know..."
"Ssshh!"
Amir hushed Paige, wishing not to hear him talk like that, when he justifies what Ryan does in the name of 'love'. He cleaned the bruises under his eye and pushed a the bangs out of his face, Amir thought he was beautiful, when he wasn't swollen and bashed, that just broke his heart but his affections never went as far as nursing him back to health. Though he ached to touch him, kiss those soft lips and not be cleaning splits instead but he knew as long as he was blind to Ryan's beatings, he'd never have Paige as his own, to truly love and care for.
"Do you want to take a shower?" Amir asked softly, touching his hand, Paige nodded and with Amir's aid he hoveled to the bathroom.
"I'll be fine"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes... please, I'm fine!"
"Fine"
Amir turned and left, this was a little ritual they went through, Paige would never let Amir help him in the bathroom. Amir figured that Ryan had done something else than beat Paige but Paige insisted he'd go away and let him clean up, destroy the evidence, whatever! He could have gone to the hospital and proved all the abuse and had Ryan locked away for a long time, Paige would rather die first than be separated from that animal.
Amir had enough, he about turned and slammed the door open and dragging a half naked Paige away from his shower.
"Amir! Stop it! LET ME GET CLEAN!" Paige struggled as Amir held him and shut the bathroom door closed.
"No! I'm calling the ambulance, I'M SICK OF THIS!"
"No please Mir Pleeeaaasee!" Paige dived to take the phone out of Amir's hand as he tried to dial the number.
"Paige we have to! Look at you?" Amir pulled Paige up to stand and face the long mirror inside the wardrobe door so he could see all the bruises, healing scars and hurt that tattooed him. Amir held him as he started to sag in his arms and fall to the floor.
"Call them... please... " He begged between sobs, Amir kissed his forehead and held him for a while and then grabbed the discarded phone and called the Ambulance.
Pulling up to the driveway, Micheal was awake now and was waiting outside for the Ambulance, he ran and yelled at the door that they were there. Amir told him to behave as he accompanied Paige to the hospital, Paige said nothing to him, he felt ashamed and Micheal was in shock that one of the strongest person he'd ever met looked so lost as he did now. Amir put his hand on his sons' shoulder and kissed him goodnight and to call his mother to pick him up as soon as she could.
He stood in the doorway and watched the red and blue lights strobe away down the street, the neighbours on all sides out on their porches whispering in their hair rollers. Someone walked up to Micheal and asked what had happened.
"What's going on here? Are you okay Mikey?"
"Yeah sure Mrs. Lesnor, a friend of ours is just sick thats all"
"There was an awful lot of yelling"
"Yeah well, tell everyone that nothing happened and to keep their noses out of our buisness!" Micheal slammed the door shut and called his mother, he hoped it would all be okay.